


Why Anyone Else (When I Know You)?

by AcesOfSpade



Series: X-Men: Evolution Time Jumps [4]
Category: Marvel, X-Men Evolution
Genre: A lot of talking about feelings, Also Kitty and Rahne and Amara and Jubilee make these idiots look amazing, Getting Together, Love Confessions, M/M, Prom, This is so stupid but I love it anyway so, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, and jamies just like nah bro, and there's a dorky little clue hunting type thing, bobby thinks jamie is straight, here you go, it starts with bobby's gay support group (tm), it takes place a few years after apocalypse, so like 2005/2006, tw for brief mention of ptsd and depression
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-10-23
Updated: 2018-10-23
Packaged: 2019-08-06 07:22:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,284
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16383800
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AcesOfSpade/pseuds/AcesOfSpade
Summary: Bobby Drake might be out to his friends at the Institute, but he's not out at school. Except, prom's coming up and he wants to ask someone to go with him. It wouldn't be so nerve-wracking if he didn't want to ask hismalebest friend (who happened to be a year younger) to prom. With some nudging courtesy of his friends, Bobby leaves a note on his best friend's locker telling him to follow the clues to find him.He didn't expect the result of the notes. Honestly, he was baffled. He couldn't wrap his head around his the fact that his best friend, who Bobby assumed was straight, returned his feelings.(aka Bobby has a crisis over someone else's sexuality, but they still end up going to prom)





	Why Anyone Else (When I Know You)?

**Author's Note:**

> .....This isn't even the only MultipleIce-centric fic I've been writing. I've got a massive multi-chapter AU I'm working on too, but this one was shorter so it was easy to finish. Like 0 people ship these dumbasses as much as I do, so I hope you guys can appreciate my level of dorkiness instead, lol. 
> 
> I'll put links in the end note for some visual references I had :)
> 
> Also the title is basically ripped straight from the fic. Like, almost word for word lol
> 
> (I legit wrote this whole thing on my phone and sent it to myself so I could format it on my computer before posting lol)

Bayville wasn't exactly a very accepting town. After all, look how they treated the X-Men and New Mutants. It wasn't surprising that a lot of those kids decided not to go to their prom for fear of being attacked in some way. Not Bobby though. He wasn't afraid of any of his classmates, and the head of the prom committee roped him into making ice carvings to decorate with. If he was putting time and effort into this, he was going to enjoy it. The only thing he needed was a date, though that may be the one area he's scared to enter around his classmates.  
  
It was no secret among Xavier's students that Bobby was gay. He knew they wouldn't judge him for it, meaning he didn't have to pretend to be straight when he was at the Institute. He could just be himself, he could spend hours in a hidden corner with Kitty, Jubilee, Rahne, and Amara talking about boys. At school though, everyone assumed he was straight. Maybe it was because Jubilee and Amara were usually with him, and everyone just assumed he was dating one of them. It was exhausting, but for his own safety, he kept up the illusion of heterosexuality for the longest time.  
  
Bobby was done hiding. He'd faced off against _Apocalypse_. A bunch of high school students shouldn't scare him as much as they did, so a week before prom he decided he was going to stop hiding. He just couldn't figure out how to ask a particular someone to prom without outing and/or embarrassing him. He ended up almost dragging Kitty and the other girls to their usual corner under the main staircase for advice.  
  
"I don't know what to do," Bobby groaned in frustration. "If I do it at school, I could embarrass him, accidentally out him in the process of outing myself, looking like a dumbass if he says no..." he ramble, running a hand through his hair.  
  
"Breathe, Bobby," Amara suggested calmly. "If you get too worked up, you're probably going to freeze half the mansion solid."  
  
Bobby took a few deep breaths, calming himself down to a point where he didn't think his heart would burst out of his chest. He'd closed his eyes while doing it, giving the girls a chance to share a knowing and amused look before he opened them again.  
  
"All good?" Rahne asked, getting a nod from Bobby. "Now, did you have anything in mind about how to ask him? That might be a good place to start."  
  
"Not really," Bobby muttered. "All of the over-the-top displays make me uncomfortable, frankly, and they don't feel genuine. You know what I mean? They feel like they're just for the attention, not whoever is involved and their feelings."  
  
"Over-the-top isn't your style anyway, Icicle," Jubilee shrugged. "You could just walk up to him and ask, no gimmick involved."  
  
"I think I'd be so nervous I'd do something stupid," Bobby shook his head.   
  
"You could leave him a note anonymously and have him follow clues that bring him to you," Kitty suggested with a smile. "If he cares, he'll do it. And there's no chance to trip over your words."  
  
"Kitty, you're a genius!" Rahne grinned. "You two know so much about each other. It'd be an easy game, but totally worth it."  
  
"That's actually a good idea..." Bobby muttered, zoning out as he started thinking of possible clues.

 

~*~*~

  
  
Jamie Madrox kept to himself most of the time. It wasn't entirely social anxiety though; physical contact triggered his mutation, instantly spawning any number of clones based on the force of the contact. The only person he ever really talked to was his best friend Bobby. He trusted Bobby more than anyone else, even the Professor.   
  
Just like Jamie didn't talk to people, people didn't talk to Jamie. They talked  _about_ Jamie, behind his back, but never actually talked to him. That fact alone made him instantly suspicious of the note he found tapped to his locker when he'd grabbed his lunch. He didn't wait to get to the cafeteria to read it, far too anxious for that.  
  
_Has anyone ever told you that you're an absolute dork? Because you definitely are. Granted, I'm a bigger dork for writing this little note to set up a game, all to ask you to prom. I won't tell you who I am, but I will give you clues and stuff to figure out who I am. Your first clue is that you should find another note in your favourite place in the whole school. Good luck :)_  
  
Jamie had to reread the note a few times just to be sure it said what he thought it did. He was only a junior. What senior would ask him to prom? They all didn't like him. Well, there was *one* senior that Jamie wouldn't mind going with, but he was halfway into the closet at school, and Jamie wasn't anywhere close to coming out in the first place. There was no way he'd ask Jamie to prom though. He wasn't that lucky.  
  
The curiosity that built up inside Jamie had him putting his lunch back into his locker so he could follow the note's clue. He'd apologize to his friends for skipping lunch later, heading out behind the school to the garden the librarians tended to so students could read peacefully outside if they wanted to. Jamie loved the garden, with its vibrant colours and relaxing smell.   
  
Just as the first note said, there was another note sitting on the bench with his name written on it in green pencil. Picking it up, he sat on the bench to read it.  
  
_Hopefully I know you as well as I think I do, and this was the first place you went. I know how much you love this garden and think its plants are the most beautiful thing you've ever seen. I'd agree with you, if I hadn't seen your face lit up in excitement when you talk about books you've read._  
  
_Speaking of books, the next note is hidden in the pages of your favourite book in the school library. I convinced the librarians to make sure no one checked it out before you found the note_  
  
Jamie felt what must've been the butterflies everyone talked about in his chest while he read the new note, his face heating up. Whoever wrote these notes was either pulling a horrible prank, or they really had feelings for him. He hoped it was the latter, because the mystery senior was so sweet and charming.  
  
Luckily, Jamie's History class was in the library that day to do research for an upcoming essay, so he had a chance to find the book with the note.   
  
Having located the omnibus copy of the 'Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy' series he had borrowed dozens of times since he started high school, Jamie sat in between the shelves as he skimmed the pages looking for the note. He found it at the beginning of the third book, 'Life, the Universe, and Everything', carefully unfolding it to read.  
  
_The number of times I've seen you carrying around or reading this book is pretty high. I don't blame you though; Douglas Adams knows how to write compelling stuff, even if that stuff is a little weird. You once told me that reading even just the first chapter of the first book is like being at home, something you can find comfort in when you need it most. Since this note was in your metaphorical home, the next one is at_  our _home_ , _the Institute. It's wedged in the corner of your mirror's frame_  
  
Jamie let out a frustrated noise that got him yelled at for being too loud. Whoever was writing these was a New Mutant like Jamie, since the X-Men had graduated already. There were seven other New Mutants besides Jamie, though Ray, Sam, and Roberto graduated the year before. That left Amara, Rahne, Jubilee, and Bobby. They were all possibilities, though Jamie knew which one he wanted it to be. He just had to finish the schoolday before he found the next note.  
  
Jamie barely focused on any of his other classes that day, too focused on the latest note. Whoever placed it must have had someone else write them down, because he would recognize the handwriting of the other New Mutants instantly. Thinking about it, the handwriting was almost identical to Kitty's, which wouldn't surprise Jamie at all. She loved playing matchmaker.

 

~*~*~

  
  
As soon as Jamie stepped through the front door of the Institute, he took off for his room. He dumped his backpack on his bed and went straight to the framed mirror he'd hung on the wall. As promised, there was another note in the bottom right corner of the frame, which he brought to his desk to read.  
  
_I know about the times you look into this mirror and see nothing but flaws, and my heart breaks every time because I don't know how to show you how wrong you are. I don't know how to tell you how absolutely beautiful you already are, how all of the flaws you think you have only make you more beautiful. I wish I were like Jean or the Professor, then I could just show you. Unfortunately, I'm not a telepath, and I'm terrible at talking about feelings. I get cold feet (heh) every time I almost work up the nerve, because I'm scared you'll reject me._  
  
_This is the last of the notes. I hope I gave you enough clues. The last place I'll tell you to go is the tree outside, the only birch tree on the property. See you there_  
  
The only thing Jamie could process was that his heart was beating so fast he felt it in his toes. He knew which New Mutant wrote these notes now, all because of one little joke within this last note. It took him a solid few minutes to get his heart to slow down and his brain to clear enough to leave his room and head outside, going straight for the massive birch tree.  
  
When Jamie got closer to the tree, his heart picked up speed again gradually as the figure leaning against its trunk came into view. He'd recognize that string-bean build and caramel-coloured hair anywhere. After all, they'd shared a bedroom for three years now.  
  
"Jamie! You actually came," Bobby grinned, sounding relieved as if he didn't think Jamie would. His hands were in his pockets, which let Jamie know how nervous he was. Bobby stuffed his hands into his pockets so people couldn't see them shaking.  
  
"Why wouldn't I?" Jamie countered, tilting his head slightly when he stopped a few feet from Bobby.   
  
"You're my best friend. We share a bedroom. I figured you'd pretend none of this happened so things wouldn't get awkward between us, because you I'm just an idiot who's been pining after his straight, male best friend for the last three and a half years," Bobby rambled anxiously, hanging his head to look at the ground in hopes of Jamie not seeing the expression on his face. "You probably wanted it to be one of the girls that left those notes, right?"  
  
Jamie's heart slowed to a stop for a moment at Bobby's words, mind racing at the facts he was just told. His feelings weren't one-sided. Bobby had the same feelings he did. Bobby didn't think he would've been considered a possibility. Bobby didn't think he was good enough for Jamie.  
  
All of those thoughts and more hit Jamie like a brick wall, rendering his speechless. That made Bobby more anxious, fearing the worst.  
  
"Jamie? Please, say something," Bobby muttered, trying not to sound as nervous as he felt and failing miserably. That snapped Jamie out of his daze, making him move close enough to take Bobby's wrists and tug his hands out of his pockets so he could hold them.  
  
"Bobby..." he muttered, succeeding in getting Bobby to look up at him. "You've got it all wrong, Snowman," he said in an almost amused tone. "I  _wanted_ it to be you. I prayed it wasn't some sick joke someone cooked up to embarrass me with; I wanted it to be real, and I hoped it was from you. I skipped lunch to find that second note, I needed to know that badly."  
  
"But... you're straight, aren't you?" Bobby asked with a small frown. Even while holding that belief, Bobby had made his attempt anyway. Maybe there was a tiny sliver of his mind that hoped Jamie was attracted to guys, attracted to  _him._  
  
"I'm bi, actually," Jamie shook his head. He wasn't surprised that was the first thing Bobby addressed. He didn't like being led-on by straight guys from past experiences. "I've just been too scared to say anything to anyone, even the others here. You're so much braver than I am, even if you only told us."  
  
"I... Why me?" Bobby muttered, barely above a whisper. "You have so many better options. What makes me so special?"  
  
"Oh Bobby," Jamie sighed softly, letting go of Bobby's hands so he could rest his arms on Bobby's shoulders. "It's more like 'why anyone else?' than 'why you?'. Why would I want to be with someone else, when you're the part of my life that I'd be lost without."  
  
With nothing in his hands anymore, Bobby found himself playing with the hem of his t-shirt, not quite believing him.  
  
"I'm nothing special," Bobby mumbled. "Just a living disaster of a snowman someone knocked over, with some serious post-traumatic stress from Apocalypse. You, you're a beautiful ray of pure sunshine that manages to shine on me, a cave troll with frostbite."  
  
"Bobby Drake, you need to stop devaluing yourself," Jamie shook his head. "You had all those things to say about me, so now it's my turn."  
  
Bobby frowned faintly at Jamie's tone, his own golden-brown eyes meeting Jamie's jade-green in disbelief.  
  
"You are _so brave_ , Bobby," Jamie told him softly but certainly, moving close enough to rest his forehead against Bobby's without realizing. "I was terrified of Apocalypse and that we had to fight Storm and the Professor, but you? You fought like Hell to take out Apocalypse without them getting seriously hurt. You found the courage to come out to us, your _family_. I still haven't figured out how to do that, and I accepted that I'm bi a year ago."  
  
Bobby looked like he wanted to say something about that, but Jamie shook his head to say he wasn't done yet. Bobby closed his mouth, eyes drifting to finally meet Jamie's.  
  
"You're also the most kind-hearted, compassionate person I know," Jamie went on. "Sure, you can get competitive, and you have your bad days, but you're still a sweetheart. You're always there for any of us that need you, even the X-Men, without batting an eye or judging us. When you found out Kitty was Jewish our first winter here, you went straight to the Professor and got him to make accommodations so she could celebrate Hanukkah here with us. Last year after that jock at school beat me up, you did anything you could to help me. If one of us is upset, you show up with homemade ice cream or popsicles and sit with us to listen."  
  
Bobby's face was slowly turning pink the more Jamie talked about him like that. No one had ever said anything like that about him before, and Jamie sounded like it was common knowledge, which Bobby thought was sweet, though it also made him realize he had a reputation here at the Institute that he'd never really considered. He just did what he could to help.  
  
"Also, if you ever call yourself a frost-bitten cave troll again, I may have to physically fight you," Jamie added to get Bobby to at least chuckle, which he did. "If you're any kind of mythological being, you're an ice-elf: beautiful, yet dangerous."  
  
Bobby's cheeks darkened to a reddish-pink, a soft look in his eyes. After a moment to decide, he hesitantly kissed Jamie, hands finding his hips and resting there.  
  
Despite his lack of experience, Jamie attempted to return the kiss as best he could, arms still draped over Bobby's shoulders.   
  
It was painfully obvious that neither of them had kissed anyone before, though that never came to mind. They were both too caught up in the fact that it was happening. In fact, they were so caught up that they didn't notice Kitty snap a quick picture of the two of them before running away.  
  
"Even if you didn't actually ask, my answer is yes. I'd love to be your prom date," Jamie muttered after they broke apart. The grin that spread across Bobby's face was adorable.

* * *

On the day of Bobby's prom, both Bobby and Jamie were whisked off by two of the girls each so they could 'help them look nice'. Kitty and Amara had Bobby, while Rahne and Jubilee had Jamie. Neither knew what these girls had planned, though they trusted them not to get too crazy.  
  
The first thing Bobby was told to do was take a shower and wash his hair as thoroughly as he could. Once that was done and he had some shorts and a shirt on, he was all but dragged to Kitty's room and pushed into her desk chair as Amara sought out a basket of hair products. He was told to close his eyes until the girls were done, following orders because Amara threatened to dump some lava in his favourite shoes if he didn't.  
  
He'd never admit it, but Bobby actually kind of liked the feeling of someone styling his hair. It felt nice, though he winced every time Kitty tried tugging on a particularly tricky knot.  
  
After almost an hour and a half, Bobby was finally allowed to open his eyes. Amara handed him a mirror, smiling widely at the work she and Kitty had done.  
  
"Whoa..." Bobby muttered as he looked at his hair. His hair was usually a mess of knots and tangles, so seeing it combed out and styled was startling. The girls had managed to tame his hair into an artful sort of messy, like bedhead but classier. Tilting his head in an attempt to look at the back, Bobby realized there were now lighter brown highlights, as well as a decent amount of white and silver glitter. It wasn't tacky-looking in the slightest. It made him feel like a fae the way it caught the light.  
  
"This is amazing," Bobby said in awe, resisting the urge to run his hand through it so he didn't mess it up.  
  
"Oh, wait 'til you see the back," Kitty grinned, grabbing a second mirror that she positioned so the back of his hair was visible in the one he was holding.  
  
The back of Bobby's hair looked arguably cooler than the rest of it. It had been buzzed short, separated into six sections by thin lines of even shorter hair. Each section had its own colour glitter that corresponded to the colours of the pride flag, and a unique shape that fit together like paving stones on a driveway.  
  
"I love it," Bobby grinned.   
  
"Great!" Amara beamed, turning the chair Bobby was sitting in towards the closet. "We picked out a few outfits for you, and they should fit. We kind of picked through your laundry to find your size."  
  
"That's surprisingly not the weirdest thing I've been told was done on my behalf," Bobby shrugged, a tiny smile on his face.  
  
The first outfit the girls showed him consisted of black fitted dress pants, a white long-sleeved dress shirt with a collar, a black blazer, and a green tie. He turned it down, telling them he'd feel more like he was going to a trial instead of a dance.  
  
Bobby wasn't a fan of the next two outfits, citing them as not his style or just plain weird. The last one, however, he really liked. When he tried it on, he liked how it fit, how it looked, everything.   
  
That outfit was a pair of nice black skinny jeans that could pass as slacks; a pastel yellow long-sleeved, untucked, collared shirt with the sleeves rolled to his elbows; a waistcoat that was almost exactly Jamie's favourite shade of green; and a pastel green bowtie with light gold polka dots. He convinced the girls that his beloved ice-blue high tops would work with it, and he won. He was right though; they paired really well with the outfit.  
  
Kitty and Amara couldn't help but squeal when they saw Bobby wearing the entire outfit, including his Chucks. Even with the scruffs and stains on his shoes, Bobby looked like he wouldn't be out of place at a semi-formal movie launch party.   
  
"You stay in here with Kitty, I've got to go get my dress and shoes," Amara instructed, slipping out of the room.

 

~*~*~

  
When Bobby was done with his shower, Jamie was told to take one too, and to wash his hair really well. It took him a whole of five minutes, so once he had clothes on, he was brought to Jubilee, Rahne, and Amara's room and sat on one of the desk chairs. Rahne already had a lot of hair products spread across her desk, while Jubilee was somewhere in the closet putting together the outfits they picked.  
  
"Are you okay with me doing a bit of trimming too?" Rahne asked. Whenever she styled someone's hair, she always asked, just to be safe.  
  
"Go for it," Jamie shrugged. "I need it cut anyway."  
  
"Awesome. Now, close your eyes until I tell you to open them," Rahne grinned, grabbing a comb to start taming his disaster-curls. They weren't wiry, but they tangled easily, so Rahne had to be careful not to hurt him.  
  
During the hour and a half Rahne spent on Jamie's hair, Jubilee had returned from the closet, spreading four piles of neatly folded clothes on her bed with a pair of shoes to go with each. When Rahne finally told him he could open his eyes, Jubilee handed him a mirror so he could look at his hair.  
  
Rahne's 'trim' turned out to be more of a full-on cut, but Jamie didn't mind it. His shaggy curls were shortened to the tops of his ears, styled with a side part over his left eye. He went to brush some loose hairs off his neck, only to feel an interesting texture. He didn't even need to say anything for Rahne to position a second mirror so he could see.  
  
The texture Jamie had felt was a close shave that felt like beard stubble, sectioned off into three triangles that met at the base of his neck. Each section had been coloured, though Jamie didn't know how long it would last. The part closest to his left ear was a dark pink, the middle one (which was skinnier than the other two) was a lilac/mauve sort of purple, while the part closest to his right ear was a rich deep blue. While moving his head around, something in his hair caught the light, making his head sparkle faintly.  
  
Just like Kitty and Amara had done for Bobby, Rahne had sprinkled a fair amount of white and silver glitter into his hair. He thought it looked wicked, wondering what it would look like under the lights at the dance.  
  
"I feel like a classy but fun young college professor," Jamie commented, making both girls snort while laughing.  
  
"Weird analogy," Rahne teased, earning Jamie flipping her off jokingly.  
  
"Seriously though, it looks amazing," Jamie told them, smiling. "How long will the colour last?" he asked Rahne.  
  
"A few days, a week at most," Rahne assured him. "It shouldn't transfer onto any of your shirts at any rate."  
  
With that out of the way, the chair Jamie was sitting in was turned towards Jubilee's bed so he could see the outfit choices they had for him. After trying on all of them, he liked the second one the most. It wasn't anything like Jamie's usual wardrobe choices. In fact, it made him feel put-together for once in his life, ironically.  
  
The dark charcoal grey slacks weren't too loose at the ankles, and the simple black belt the girls had picked wasn't too tight; the collared dress shirt was a shade of blue so light it was almost white, the long sleeves cuffed at his wrists and the bottom hem tucked into his pants; and over top of that, Jamie was given a silvery-blue blazer that was quite comfortable. Around his neck was a long tie with a base colour of a pretty, light blue. It was patterned with tiny white and silver snowflakes, which Jamie thought was nice.  
  
The outfit he picked was the only one without shoes to go with it, which was weird. After letting the girls fuss over tiny imperfections in his clothes, he turned to Jubilee questioningly.  
  
"No shoes?" he asked with a small frown.  
  
"You were already wearing them," Jubilee smirked, gesturing to the custom high tops he'd put to the side while he tried on the outfits. The green canvas may've been his favourite shade, but those poor shoes had seem some rough times. They were scuffed, random parts of the canvas faded by the sun.  
  
"Are you sure?" he asked, though he wouldn't mind wearing comfortable shoes for the night.   
  
"Yeah! Trust us, they'll be perfect," Jubilee grinned.   
  
"Now it's your turn to help us get ready," Rahne smirked. "I hope you know how to tie a corset."  
  
"I do, actually," Jamie chuckled. "I'm also great at braiding hair, according to my Mom."

* * *

 Since Kitty wasn't actually going with the youngest of the New Mutants, she readily offered to give them a ride. She acted like one of those mothers that liked to embarrass her 'kids', despite only being a few years older. She told them all to meet her at the bottom of the main staircase, because almost everyone wanted to take pictures of the five of them before they left.   
  
Bobby and Amara were the first to get there. Amara's hair and makeup didn't take too long, and her dress had a simple zipper. She looked stunning, her floor-length dress reminding Bobby why she was called Magma.   
  
"Oh God I'm nervous," Bobby muttered, bouncing on his feet. "I don't wanna do something stupid, especially not while we're still here."  
  
"Bobby, you'll do fine," Amara assured him, adjusting his crooked bowtie. "It's just a few pictures. You'll survive."  
  
Moments later, Rahne and Jubilee arrived at the bottom of the stairs, looking just as stunning as Amara. Rahne's violet dress made her look like a goddess, her hair down for once. Jubilee's dress managed to reflect her personality and her powers, all while making pink and yellow work together.  
  
"Jamie said to tell you he'll be down in a second. He lost something he needs," Rahne told the others. Almost everyone was thrown off-course by the fact that Rahne's hair wasn't in pigtails. Only her roommates and Kitty had ever seen it down.  
  
Right after Rahne mentioned him, Jamie finally joined the group at the bottom of the stairs. His hands were behind his back, as if he were hiding something, and he looked nervous. Obviously, the others knew Jamie had a date by the sole fact that he was going, but they'd never figured out who it was. Everyone probably thought it was one of Bobby's non-mutant friends, a sweet carrot top named Zelda. Jamie was about to let them know who his date was, and who  _he_ was, in one go.  
  
As Kitty started posing the girls for some pictures, Jamie went over to Bobby with his hands still behind him back. He'd only seen Bobby's head over the crowd, so he actually paused when he saw what Bobby was wearing. Jamie made a mental note to tell Kitty and Amara they did an amazing job, because almost all of Bobby's outfit was his favourite colours, especially the waistcoat that was exactly his favourite shade of green. He probably looked like he was staring, yet Bobby seemed to not notice.   
  
Bobby had caught a glimpse of Jamie when he'd first come down the stairs, though he didn't see much more than his face and new haircut until he started walking over. He took one look at Jamie, and just like that, Bobby couldn't _stop_ looking at him. He actually looked like he had himself together, as ironic as that was.   
  
Both of them snapped out of it when Kurt teleported to them individually, poking their shoulders until they stopped staring at each other. Once they were fully aware, Kurt teleported away without a word. Bobby went over to Jamie, the smile on his face bringing back those butterflies he'd felt while looking for Bobby's notes.  
  
"Are those snowflakes?" Bobby asked with a chuckle, reaching for Jamie's tie so he could fix it. Bowties were beyond him, but Bobby learned young how to tie, adjust, and wear a long tie.   
  
"Jubilee said she picked it out," Jamie chuckled, trying to keep his heart from racing when Bobby adjusted his tie. He didn't really understand why, but his heart evidently did.   
  
"I like it," Bobby smiled, smoothing down Jamie's tie so it was sitting flat. "You look good in blue," he added casually.   
  
"Thanks," Jamie almost squeaked out, cheeks flushing a faint pink. "I, uh, have something for you," he said, the nervousness from earlier creeping back into his demeanour and voice.  
  
"You do?" Bobby blinked, not expecting anything.  
  
"I made it mostly by myself," Jamie nodded, handing him the box he'd been hiding behind his back.   
  
Bobby took the box with a curious look, taking off the lid to see. "You made this yourself?" he asked, because the corsage he'd just been given looked professional.  
  
"Well, Rahne helped so I didn't poke hundreds of holes into my hands with the needle," Jamie nodded proudly.   
  
Bobby just took a few moments to admire the corsage, an adoring look on his face. There were two kinds of flowers: white roses, and a beautiful cobalt blue one he didn't recognize. There were some blue and white striped ribbons around the base, sticking out passed the flowers with a curve.   
  
"Now I feel bad for not getting you any kind of flowers," Bobby muttered softly, looking back up at Jamie.   
  
"Don't," Jamie shook his head. "You asked me to go with you. That's more than enough."  
  
The pair were interrupted by Kitty calling them over for pictures, both sharing a nervous glance as they went to her. Bobby still had the box with the corsage in it, not knowing where he should pin it. Collar? Pocket? Top button hole on his waistcoat? He wasn't sure. Rahne must have noticed, because she went over and carefully took the corsage to pin it just about right above his heart.  
  
"There you go," she nodded, going back to Amara and Jubilee.  
  
"Okay, both of you come sit about halfway up the stairs," Kitty instructed. She took these kinds of things seriously, pretending they were photoshoots.  
  
After Kitty, Charles, and Storm got their pictures, they were repositioned a handful of times before the girls were called back over to get a few shots of all five of them.   
  
The first shot Kitty set up had the three girls standing at the bottom of the staircase, Bobby and Jamie leaning an elbow on their respective sides of the railing. She did a few more creative shots like that before arranging a 'traditional' group shot.  
  
Bobby and Jamie were the back row, seeing as they were quite a bit taller than the girls, meaning their hands were hidden by Rahne. Jamie reached out to hook his pinkie finger with Bobby's, prompting both to glance over at each other with the cutest lovestruck expressions Kitty had ever seen. She got quite a few pictures of the sweet little moment before noticing the time. Kitty ushered all five out to the SUV she was borrowing from the garage, reminding them to fasten their seatbelts.  
  
The entire drive to the school, Bobby and Jamie didn't talk. They were too busy freaking out about the fact that this was actually happening. Luckily, they came back to reality just before they got to the school.  
  
"Have fun, guys!" Kitty beamed as they all got out. "Don't do anything dangerous like Ray and Sam did last year, you hear me? Tonight's about dancing and all that, not electrocuting the punch bowl for the Hell of it."  
  
"We won't, Kitty," the girls responded, giggling in amusement.   
  
"And we'll keep these two out of trouble," Amara promised.

~*~*~

  
  
They ended up standing in line to get in for nearly an hour because their graduating class was huge. The girls took the opportunity to touch up their lipstick and make sure their hair was cooperating. Bobby and Jamie just watched in amusement.  
  
Finally, they made it to the front of the line. Principal MacTaggert was personally handling the attendance records, making sure every student's invited date was the same person they had registered. She smiled when she saw the group come up to the table, tapping the end of her pen on her chin idly.  
  
"Did Charles take an unreasonable number of pictures again this year?" she joked, marking all five down on the sheet.  
  
"So did Kitty," Amara giggled.  
  
"Go have fun, be teenagers," Principal MacTaggert chuckled.

The group moved towards the gym, stopping at the start of the hallway leading in so they could properly look at the intricate ice sculptures that seemed to not melt. On the right was a three-foot tall fairy with her wings spread and hair in an intricate braid, a bird cupped in her hands. On the left stood a three-foot tall oak tree with branches spanning a foot and a half. A bird's nest sat on the lower branches, right across from the fairy to make it seem like she was trying to return the bird.  
  
"Good work, Icicle," Jubilee grinned. "Even if I didn't know you, I'd tell you they're perfect."  
  
"Seriously," Rahne agreed. "You've got to have insane control to pull of something like this. Teach me your ways!" she joked.  
  
"I remember the first sculpture I ever say you make," Amara commented. "It was a little ballerina. These outshine that little ballerina by a mile."  
  
"As beautiful as they are, the most impressive thing to me is that you figured out how to keep them from melting," Jamie mused. "They look like crystal, but if you touch them, you can tell they're ice. It's amazing."  
  
"I've had four years of failures to thank for that," Bobby chuckled. "There's a few more in the gym too. Little ones though."  
  
"I'm excited to see them!" Rahne beamed eagerly. "With an enchanted forest theme, there's so many possibilities."  
  
"Let's go in then," Jamie suggested, absently taking Bobby's hand in his own as they admired the rest of the decorations in the hallway.   
  
Taking one step into the gym, Jamie's eyes widened in awe at how well the prom committee hid the fact that this was a gym. Mock oak trees marked each corner, their branches creating a canopy that blocked the rafters. Lanterns of all kinds hung from that canopy, as well as a few vines and fake birds. The walls in between each tree were decorated to look like there were more trees, like this were really a forest. Fairies like the one Bobby made were scattered throughout the walls, some with little bird friends too. The floor was protected by what was basically astroturf, lanterns on poles bringing more light.   
  
The most beautiful decorations though, there was no contest. Each of the dozen or so tree stump-like tables had a small centrepiece: an icy flower bush with fairies hidden amongst the blossoms. There were lights underneath all of them that made them glow either a peaceful green or like a candle.  
  
"Bobby, these are insane!" Jubilee grinned when the group snagged a table for themselves. "If they were coloured somehow, they'd be breath-taking."   
  
Rahne and Amara shared similar sentiments, and Jamie joked that he wished he had that much control over his powers. The girls got up to go dance with other friends not long after, leaving Bobby and Jamie alone at the table.  
  
"I could try to teach you," Bobby offered. "Our powers are a lot different, but I think my control tactic is pretty universal."  
  
"Really?" Jamie blinked, hopeful. He was a high school junior, and he still had terrible control over his powers. It was embarrassing sometimes, frankly.  
  
"Of course," Bobby nodded with a warm smile. Jamie smiled back, tugging Bobby onto the dance floor so they could have fun.

 

~*~*~

  
  
The first slow song of the night came almost an hour in. When the DJ announced it, Bobby adjusted his bowtie and turned to Jamie just as the music started, holding out a hand.  
  
"May I have this dance?" he asked, a smile on his face.  
  
"Of course you may," Jamie chuckled, taking Bobby's hand before adjusting them so his arms were resting on Bobby's shoulders, while Bobby's hands found his waist.   
  
_[The closer you get, the further I fall. I'll be over the edge now in no time at all. I'm falling faster and faster in no time at all; the closer you get, the further I fall](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Qbe72qlZv6M)_

**Author's Note:**

> _Visual References_
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> (note: I couldn't find references for the hair styles I went with, so just use your imagination lol)
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> [Bobby's outfit](https://prnt.sc/l99qra) (pretend the sleeves are rolled up to his elbows, and the flowers are [these ones](http://2.bp.blogspot.com/--ed_mnr18Gc/Tw3MOpIqYEI/AAAAAAAABSo/xIGwJ7NGygI/s1600/Blue%252C+Silver+and+White+corsage.jpg) instead.
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> [Jamie's outfit](https://prnt.sc/l99rq3)
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> [Rahne's dress](https://prnt.sc/l97u3n)
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> [Amara's dress](https://prnt.sc/l97qyd)
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> [Jubilee's dress](https://prnt.sc/l97swa) (ft. fireworks lol)


End file.
